Drunken man shattered ex-wife's house windows
A MAN smashed two front windows and a porch bench at his ex-wife's house in what the judge described as a "shattering experience" for the victim.
Gardai were called to a house at St Mark's Crescent, Clondalkin, on August 17 last and were told Chris Dillon had put his foot through the sitting room window.
Dillon, who was drunk, also broke a bedroom window and smashed a bench that was in the porch.
The cost of the damage was €550.
Blanchardstown District Court heard his only previous conviction was for being drunk and disorderly in the 1980s.
The accused was extremely remorseful for what happened, his barrister told the court.
He realised that his behaviour had been completely unacceptable and he had paid compensation as a gesture of his remorse.
His barrister asked Judge David McHugh if there was any way the defendant could be left without a conviction.
"There's not a hope of that, I can tell you," Judge McHugh said.
Dillon's barrister asked the judge to view what happened as an isolated incident.
"There is another person in this, that is Sharon Dillon, his ex-wife," the judge said.
"I'm sure it was a shattering experience for her - not punning on the word in any way or meaning to do so.
"She is entitled to her justice also," he added.
Dillon (49) was given a three-month suspended sentence.
The judge suspended the sentence for a year.
Dillon, a dad-of-one of St Ronan's Green, Clondalkin, admitted causing a breach of the peace, public drunkenness and damaging a concrete bench and two front windows.